“We see so many rough diamonds that you would love to be able to take under your wing and polish and say, ‘Wow, they look like they can become fabulous dancers,’ " Lythgoe told CNN. “But we can’t take people that just show promise. So in order to try and do something with that, we thought of the idea.”

The Celebration of Dance event takes place at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles this Sunday, and aims to raise funds to help underprivileged youngsters become professional dancers.

“I think everybody realizes how important the arts are for our cultural growth and for the legacy that we leave, you know. It is the one thing I believe that separates us from anything else on Earth, whether it’s art, poetry, dance, music. It really is,” Lythgoe said. “And it’s very special to us, and it’s something that we need to protect and introduce to our kids.”

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